Rating: PG (so far)
Warnings: lots and lots of angst!
Archive: my website, SlasherStyle
Notes: This is my first original fiction, so any feedback would be appreciated! Also, the only beta for this story was me, but I promise you I read over it several times. ;)
Original Chapter One: A Change In The Air
�Another glorious year of listening to teachers pretend to know what they�re teaching us,� Griffin Morgan sighed as her green cat-eyes rested on the building before her. She glanced in her rear-view mirror to check her spiked, dyed pink hair before stepping from her car.
Grinning, Shane launched himself at his best friend of seven years. �Griff!� he exclaimed as he relinquished his hold on the girl. �Just think of it this way: after this year, we only have one more of school here, then it�s off to college!�
�You don�t have to sound so damn pleased about it,� Griffin surmised, grimacing. �College will be just as bad as high school. A bunch of idiots trying to be the �norm� while putting others down. A lot of bloody fun.�
Shane shook his head. There really was no point in arguing with her. Once Griffin got something into her head, getting it out was nearly impossible.
She had not always lived in the town as most people had. Griffin was British, and had moved to America with her mother after her father left them. She and Shane had instantly clicked, and had been very good friends ever since. They had never been more than friends, in the only way one can be, mainly because, well...
As they walked towards the school, a few people waved to them. One girl with long, wavy red hair bounded towards them and latched herself to Griffin. �Oh, I missed you so much!� Bernadette exclaimed. �Why didn�t you call? And why�d you change your phone number?� Bernadette Wynn - probably the most freaky girl in school. She was into that witch stuff. She called it �Wicca�, though Shane was not too sure of the difference. She was very dramatic and seemed to enjoy breaking up with Griffin, then making up.
Griffin really liked Bernadette, and Shane was sure the red haired girl was not really going to let go of Griffin, despite her dramatic tendencies. Shane sometimes felt jealous - not of Bernadette or Griffin, but the relationship they had.
�Because you told me at the end of last school year that you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Remember that?� Griffin asked, shaking her head. She was used to this by now, and Shane was sure that she almost enjoyed it as much as her girlfriend - of course, she vehemently denied the suggestion.
As they launched into a heated conversation, Shane decided to continue on to school. They probably would not make go, anyway. Giving them one last look, and then shaking his head, Shane turned and took a step. And hit something very, very solid.
�So they�re at it again?� an amused masculine voice asked.
Upon recognising the person he had ran into, Shane groaned. Why him? Out of all the guys he could have run into, it had to be the most obnoxious boy in school, J-
�Are you okay?� Jaq asked, interrupting Shane�s thoughts. �You didn�t get a head ache from running into me?�
�I didn�t run into you!� Shane exploded. �You shouldn�t have been standing so close to me. What were you thinking? I couldn�t even take one step!�
�Err, I...�
�That�s exactly what I thought! Good day, Mr. Roland.� Cheeks slightly flushed in humiliation, Shane padded past Jaq. Or tried to, anyway.
A hand grabbing his arm stopped him from going any further. �Let go of me!� he exclaimed.
�Look, I just wanted to say �hi�. You don�t have to get sore on me.�
�I have reason enough,� Shane said curtly. �And you�ve said it. So, hi to you as well. And good-BYE.�
Sighing, Jaq turned to look at his watch. �I have to go or else I�ll be late. See you at lunch?� With a toothy grin, he turned and jogged towards the school entrance.
So he was really handsome and he had such a nice body, but... Jaq Roland was the most conceited guy in school, and always boasted about how many girls he had laid. Not to mention that he had never been on friendly terms with Shane and Griffin. Oh, and...he had never acted like that before. Why?
Sending one more look towards Griffin and Bernadette - and finding them completely missing, Shane sighed and walked towards the school building. He had a omniscient feeling that this day was going to be very, very bad.
The day did not turn out quite as horrible as Shane had imagined it would. If anything, it was much better. He had many teachers that he thought he would enjoy knowing, and there was nobody in any of his classes that he did not like. The school year was off to a great start.
At lunch, he did not see Jaq, which was a very good thing. That also happened to be the time that Griffin returned to school. When he asked her what happened, she snorted and would not say a word. She always had been reluctant to talk about her personal life, even with her closest friends.
After school, however, was entirely different. As they were walking towards her car, Griffin said, �I told Bernie I could take her home. You...don�t mind, do you?�
Although he knew what would ensue with the two of them in a small space, Shane shook his head. �No, I don�t mind.� Somehow he managed to keep his voice neutral, even though he was dreading every moment he would spend in the car listening to them bicker back and forth.
�Griffin!� the red haired girl exclaimed as she started walking beside them. �Oh, you�ll never believe what my professor did! How annoying! I came in late, and he wouldn�t let me in the classroom until I�d gone to the front office to talk with the principal. Argh! Oh, Shane! Hi! How was your summer? I suppose you don�t mind if I ride with you and Griffin home today? I couldn�t get anyone else to give me one, and I don�t like to be a burden, you know.�
Blinking, Shane opened his mouth to reply, but she started talking again. He could not see what Griffin saw in Bernadette, but sometimes people had the strangest tastes.
When they reached the car, Bernadette hopped forward and opened the door, seating herself in the front seat. Rolling his eyes, Shane reached out to open the door, but was stopped when Jaq sidled against the car in front of him.
�Yes?� he asked, gritting his teeth.
�I can take you home, if you�d rather not be forced to listen to them.�
�Oh, would you? How sweet,� Shane mimicked (or did his best to) a simpering girl. �I�m not one of your fan group, and haven�t the least why I�d want to ride with you. Griff, I�m going to find another way home. You two enjoy the ride.� Sending his best friend a smile that hopefully reinforced what he had said, Shane shouldered his back pack and walked towards the school building.
�Hey! Wait!� Jaq yelled.
With a determined frown, Shane ignored the other boy and walked faster.
�Shane! Damn it!� A hand grabbed his shoulder and halted him. �Sorry,� Jaq mumbled, releasing Shane. �I just want to talk to you.�
�Why? You have never wanted to be within several feet of me, and have never said more than a word to me in your life. A pleasant word, that is.�
Shrugging, the dark haired boy responded, �I...err... Sorry about that. Really. I suppose I changed. I want to get to know you.�
Shane gave him a flat stare, then quipped, �Oh, I see. Why did you want to get me into your car? Some kind of prank?� His eyes flashed silver at the other boy, daring him to admit to the accusation.
�How many times do I have to tell you that I mean you no harm?!� Jaq exclaimed, flustered.
�At least once more,� Shane replied.
�Fine. Have it your way,� Jaq said with a shrug. �I was trying to be nice and offer you a way home so you didn�t have to listen to them. Do you ever go beyond your safe zone? All the times that I�ve seen you, you had that girl around you.� Shaking his head sadly, Jaq sighed, �I hope you have a good day.�
For a few moments, Shane simply stared after the boy�s retreating back. What if everything he had said was right? That did not mean that he had been right to criticise Shane and his friends when they were younger. But people do change...
�Wait!� he called, raising a hand into the air. �Jaq!� The name sounded strange on his tongue, but also nice. When the boy turned to look at him, Shane bit his lip as he walked towards him. �I�ll take you up on your offer. But no funny business,� he admonished, smiling slightly.
Jaq�s dark blue eyes danced as he opened the door to his red convertible. �Thanks.�
Blinking, Shane sat and looked at his hands. �It�s...umm...nothing.�
�Sure it was,� the other boy said as he flopped in the driver�s seat. �What kind of music do you listen to?� he asked as he turned on the engine. The radio blasted some kind of rap/hip hop.
�This is fine,� Shane said as he turned the sound down. �I listen to just about everything.�
�Whatever everyone else wants to?� Jaq asked, frowning at him.
Flushing, Shane fervently shook his head. �Of course not!�
�Then change it to something you like.�
Glaring sullenly, Shane reclined against the seat and stared stubbornly at the city as they drove past it.
Jaq Roland had some nerve. First he started acting completely different, then he assumed to know something about Shane, and.. Now he is trying to tell me what to do. Jerk, he thought, pursing his lips in annoyance.
The car stopped, and Shane realised that they were at his house. Wondering how Jaq could know where he lived, and at the same time irate over it, the boy grabbed his pack and walked towards the front porch.
�Shane!� Jaq yelled, jumping over the car door with an ease that made Shane furious. He stopped running in front of the other boy and pleaded, �I�m sorry. Really, I shouldn�t have said half the things I did. You just make me so confused. I...just...� Suddenly, he pulled Shane towards him and kissed him.
Eyes widening, Shane hesitantly responded, tangling one hand in Jaq�s messy hair and the other in his shirt. He had heard that Jaq was a good kisser, but had never paid the comments much attention. Then again, he had never thought that he would be in this position, either.
After a few moments, Jaq pulled away slightly and grinned. �You look even better kissed than I�d imagined. I�ll see you at school tomorrow. Okay?�
�Yeah, of course,� Shane replied, forcing his hands to disentangle themselves and fall back by his side. �Hey...Jaq!� The boy turned from where he was standing by his car. �I�ll see you at school.� A wide grin spread across Jaq�s handsome face as he sprung into his car.
Shaking his head, Shane turned and continued walking towards his house. This was the absolute last thing he would have expected to happen, but... With a smile on his face, Shane entered his house. �Mom! Da-�
Eyes widening, Shane fell to the ground. The last thing he saw before blackness enveloped him was his father�s unblinking eyes.
To be continued...
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